MATAWA, a Morgan Giles designed sloop is quite a remarkable vessel. Built to an F C Morgan Giles design by Cardnell Brothers, Maylandsea, Essex in 1947, she was bought by Captain Robert Franks in 1961 when Dartmouth became her home port.
She was cruised extensively by the Franks family, and believed to have voyaged some 75,000 miles, visiting Brittany, Spain, Ireland, the Baltic and Norway, Gibraltar, the Mediterranean and in 1974 sailed the Atlantic circuit.
After over 60 years in the same ownership MATAWA changed hands in 2021. Dartmouth remains her home port and the last two years has seen extensive renovation works and a refit.
Her hull is constructed of two layers of double diagonal planked 3/8” mahogany plywood fastened onto ply mahogany ring frames and secured with copper roves. Her stem, sternpost, deadwoods, stringers and beam shelves are of pitch pine. Flanged bronze floors are fitted in bilge spaces.
